Lately I've developed a real interest in exercise, fitness, and healthy diet. This is all part of the therapy I've been going through; the operative theory is that good physical health contributes to stable mental health. So I joined a gym and I've been making a real effort to work out and eat right. I'm interested if anyone else has any ideas or experiences they'd like to share; I'm always curious to try new things!

On the exercise side, I've mostly been doing weights and especially upper body, since my bad knee makes lower-body exercises risky. I still try to do some light lower-body exercises, but I'm careful not to over-do it. I also enjoy taking walks or spending some time on the exercise bike, since those are easy enough on my knee and good for getting the heart rate up.

For diet, I've been focusing on lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains supplemented by meat for proteins. I've been trying to avoid high-starch foods like potatoes and corn, and also staying away from anything fried. I've developed a real addiction for spinach, celery, bananas, and orange juice. I'm also staying away from caffiene, since it's really bad for anxiety disorder, and this means no coffee or any sodas, making me something of an oddity in today's culture.

Does this sound like a good fitness plan? Anyone have any experiences with dieting/exercise that might be helpful? Or just have ideas/comments to share?

Generally speaking, the more people talk about "being saved," the further away they actually are from true salvation.

I've got nice results with a combination of aerobic excercise (soccer or basketball 2-3 times a week) and weights at the gym (2-3 times a week). I usually switch between 3 times aerobic and 2 times weights during one week and the other way round the following week.

Like with all training, the final outcome of the excercise is determined by the diet. When I started training I was 178 cm (around 5'10" ?) and 62 kg (136 lbs), so not a very big guy. My fat % was probably around 9 to 10, though it was not measuerd. On a soccer pitch it made me quick, but I ended up losing many challenges and tackles.

So my coach decided I need to get some more weight with minimum fat gain. I did not actually change much with my gym excercise, but I started to eat more. So at the gym, I put more focus on good overall excercises such as squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, bench press and different rows. I also increased my calorie intake considerably, mainly by adding vegetable oils and protein to my diet (I didn't even cut off any sugars or fried food).

After six months of training I had gained 11 kg (24 lbs) weight and my fat percentage was 10 - 11 % (measured with two different methods). I had improved my bench press max by +25 kg, 8 rep squat by +20 kg and 6 rep deadlifts by +40 kg. And I could still hit the 3000 metre mark in the Cooper test.

So in the beginning all I had to do was to work out and eat. Unfortunately the progress usually slows down quite drastically after the start, which was my case also. But all in all, I was extremely pleased with the overall results of my training. To me it came as a complete surprise how much eating affects your results.

Of course, if you have a knee problem, squats and maybe deadlifts aren't the best options, but like you said, train them as much as you can, and concentrate on your upper body when doing heavy weights.

Interesting story. I'm a bit on the lightweight side myself, only about 70kg at just over 180cm tall, but I'm aiming more for good overall health and not necessarily weight gain. Which is not to say that I haven't gained any weight since I started exercising, of course. In fact you should've seen me before I joined the Marine Corps, I only weighed about 55kg! I gained up to my current weight at boot camp, when I was constantly exercising and eating about 4500 calories per day. Since then, my lack of exercise has caused much of the muscle mass I had then to convert to fat, leaving me with a rather higher body-fat percentage than I'd like. I haven't measured it, but it's the reason for trying minimize fats in my diet.

I've mostly been doing bench press, curls, pull-ups, and similar upper-body exercises as well as some crunches and back extensions to work out mid-body. When I do lower-body, I try to go light on the weight and use both legs to press against the machine, so that if my bad leg starts to hurt I can still handle all the weight on my good one if I have to. I just wish I could still run like I used to, but the exercise bike and taking walks is going to have to do for aerobics.

Generally speaking, the more people talk about "being saved," the further away they actually are from true salvation.

The most important rule about choosing an exercise regimen is that it has to be one that you can keep up for life. The best regimen is to attend a gym, and consult a personal trainer, and work with that person. However, most people who try that get sick of it and give up quite soon, which ironically makes it the worst regimen! Find something that you enjoy and can continue for the rest of your life.

The second rule is that, while many exercises are superior to others, any exercise is far superior to none. If walking is what you enjoy, then do that, and don't get too hung up on the fact that you are not doing other, possibly superior exercises.

Diet is not as difficult as many claim. There are only a couple of vital rules.

Rue one is what to avoid. That is ; excess of saturated fat, sugar, refined starch, and salt. Eat these in moderation.

Rule two is variety. We need lots of different things. Lean red meat, fat-free poultry, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products - add some or all of these as regular parts of the diet, though not to excess. Also, as much variety as is practical in fruit, vegetables, nuts and high fibre starch foods. At least five different ones each day. When hungry, fill up on the high fibre starches.

And potatoes are a good food, as long as they are not cooked with saturated fats. Ditto for corn. Potatoes have a lot of undigestible starch which performs a similar role in the diet to fibre, making potatoes less fattening than many suppose. Potatoes also contain a whole heap of valuable nutrients, from vitamin C up. The United Nations declared 2008 to be the Year of the Potato, and for good reason. Corn is full of good fibre. Just avoid adding saturated fats, like butter.

Interesting points, skeptic, thanks. Of course, if I am to follow those dietary guidelines, I would be completely forsaking my Cajun heritage, where almost everything is fried to a crisp, salted to last like the Egyptian pyramids, and fatty enough to make Rosie O'Donnell look skinny! Actually, that's not really a bad idea, and as much as I love good spice, I have been trying to cut back ever since I discovered that an excess of spice can cause stomach ulsers.

I just wish I had access to more variety. The cafeteria at school is particularly bad, and notoriously unhealthy. A lot of students (including myself) have been petitioning for years for healthier foods in the caf, like less fried stuff and maybe the introduction of a fruit bar. Sadly, the powers that be have refused to listen, all because the current unhealthy menu is more profitable for them. Figures.

Generally speaking, the more people talk about "being saved," the further away they actually are from true salvation.

Hey man, This is all part of the therapy I've been going through; the operative theory is that good physical health contributes to stable mental health. So I joined a gym and I've been making a real effort to work out and eat right. I'm interested if anyone else has any ideas or experiences they'd like to share; I'm always curious to try new things!

Firstly good for you. A fitness regime is always a great thing to improve mental outlook and attitude in my book.

One comment caught my eye though. A common misconception is that muscle can 'turn to fat.' I have learned that isn't physically possible, but when one stops or reduces the level of exercise they experience muscle atrophy and if thy still consume the same amount of calories, they are not at metabolically active with a lesser amount of lean muscle tissue and therefore the excess calories are stored as fat deposits. Hence the ratio of lean muscle is reduced and the fat mass increases.

Technically even if a person lost lean muscle mass and cut down on calories but maintained the same body weight; the ratio of fat to lean tissue would still increase in favour of fat.

Good luck with your training... it sounds as though you are doing a great job.... an inspiration in a society were an increasing % of the western world are contributing to an obesity epidemic.

Hey also about the stomach ulcers thing.... I think spice could aggravate stomach ulcers but would be interested to see any literature that says it causes it. (Im a spice fan ... lot fat curries are possible... and tasty)

I think there was a couple of famous guys who linked stomach ulcers and helicobactor pylori.... really interesting guys... I think their names were Marshall and ..... One of the guys drank a broth containing the H.pylori bacteria to see if it gave him stomach ulcers..... it did! Brave guy... all good stuff in the name of science.

Alex, your fitness and diet really sounds good. I just say, balance everything. It does not necessarily mean that certain foods have to be avoided perhaps they have to be consumed moderately or occasionally, I agree too of your willingness to increase more of your fruits and veggies consumption, lots of fiber and essential nutrients there definitely. Besides it's nice to hear that there are some young people like you who are aware of living healthy. Sometimes we'll only hear such from people who are at their late adulthood and by the time they grow old and begin to feel body discomforts that will be just the time they start treating themselves good but there are instances it's already late and they have to be hospitalized and it’s even more expensive.

I sometimes think that 1st world countries are really blessed with nature stuff, fresh produce or organic food and where at least most of their citizens can afford buying quality food. In our country, everything is really high. Even a minimum wage could no longer afford to provide a healthy living (some says you have to be rich first before you have it). That's why most of my fellowmen think of leaving and working abroad, where they could possibly provide for themselves and families as well. And of course the reality here is that, the less quality the living standards are, the high in morbidity and mortality rate certainly. I’ve said too much here, getting out of the topic I guess.

How I wish I could also improve some of my diet. Hey, you also said you're having body exercises right? maybe you would like to show to us your six-pack abs one day (well, just kidding there ).

---Just one act of random kindness at a time and you can change the world---